The Tapas Note.

[misty]

So do you think it was a type of booking sheet that it was written on?   Can you remind us who this Steve was?

Do you think it was Steven Marcos Rodrigues Cova http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/STEVEN_COVA.htm 
For he seems to deny any previous contact and surely that would include approving the block booking?

Yes, that is Steve.

Here is the statement where it is reported Steve authorised the group booking (at least for that night)
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/LUIS_BARROS.htm
"When asked he says that on a date he cannot remember, the group, just the adults because the children were dining with the nannies, had been too late in making their dinner reservation at the Tapas, and an exception was made, authorised by his boss Steve, as the Tapas only provides for 20 dinners for half board clients as was the case."

[Robittybob1]

Yes, that is Steve.

Here is the statement where it is reported Steve authorised the group booking (at least for that night)
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/LUIS_BARROS.htm
"When asked he says that on a date he cannot remember, the group, just the adults because the children were dining with the nannies, had been too late in making their dinner reservation at the Tapas, and an exception was made, authorised by his boss Steve, as the Tapas only provides for 20 dinners for half board clients as was the case."

That sounded like more the one off situation that was approved.

[G-Unit]

Yes, that is Steve.

Here is the statement where it is reported Steve authorised the group booking (at least for that night)
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/LUIS_BARROS.htm
"When asked he says that on a date he cannot remember, the group, just the adults because the children were dining with the nannies, had been too late in making their dinner reservation at the Tapas, and an exception was made, authorised by his boss Steve, as the Tapas only provides for 20 dinners for half board clients as was the case."

Gerry mentions something about Thursday evening. I wonder what went wrong with the block booking?

Gerry said: "I think the worst thing is we kind of almost thought about not going.  And er, and did.  We weren’t sure we were going to get into the tapas, remember, and…"
Madeleine, One Year On: Campaign For Change
http://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/Nigel/id453.htm

[misty]

That sounded like more the one off situation that was approved.

Luisa clearly stated she took the booking on Sun. 29th so I presume Barros must have been away from his position at the Millenium Bar to have any knowledge of Tapas dining bookings.

Something I have just picked up from Luisa's statement is this:-
http://mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/LUISA_COUTINHO.htm
Date: 2007/05/08
She never saw anything strange. During this interview she provided a book with the reservations for the Tapas restaurant.


Yet the booking sheets from 4/5/07 are on different paper.

http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/T/03_VOLUME_IIIa_Page_608.jpg     (3rd May format & days before)
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/T/03_VOLUME_IIIa_Page_609.jpg     (4th May, new format)
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/T/03_VOLUME_IIIa_Page_610.jpg     (6th May, new format)

[misty]

Gerry mentions something about Thursday evening. I wonder what went wrong with the block booking?

Gerry said: "I think the worst thing is we kind of almost thought about not going.  And er, and did.  We weren’t sure we were going to get into the tapas, remember, and…"
Madeleine, One Year On: Campaign For Change
http://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/Nigel/id453.htm

Reading the whole passage, it appears to alter the context of the crying comment & the block booking.

Kate recalled Madeleine's comment the day before she went missing.

"Well I can’t remember, we'd just had breakfast.  It was, it was sort of fairly early in the morning.  She just very casually really said 'where were you last night when me and Sean cried?'  And we immediately looked and said, you  know, 'when was this Madeleine, was this when you were going to sleep?' And she didn’t answer.  And then she just carried on playing, totally undistressed," said Kate.

She added: "But we obviously told the police because we thought does that indicate that someone's been round the night before and that’s what’s woken her up?  Which is significant, you know…I’ve persecuted myself over and over again about that statement because you think why didn't I kind of just hold her and say what do you mean, what do you mean you know?  What do you mean you woke up?"

Gerry said: "I think the worst thing is we kind of almost thought about not going.  And er, and did.  We weren’t sure we were going to get into the tapas, remember, and…"

Kate said: "In fact we were all, we were all going to go up to the Millennium  again, that was with the kids, which is what we did the first night.  It was just, it was just because the walk was so long and we didn’t have a buggy and the  kids were tired by that time and I thought we were, you know we did talk about going up to the Millennium that night." 

[G-Unit]

Reading the whole passage, it appears to alter the context of the crying comment & the block booking.

Kate recalled Madeleine's comment the day before she went missing.

"Well I can’t remember, we'd just had breakfast.  It was, it was sort of fairly early in the morning.  She just very casually really said 'where were you last night when me and Sean cried?'  And we immediately looked and said, you  know, 'when was this Madeleine, was this when you were going to sleep?' And she didn’t answer.  And then she just carried on playing, totally undistressed," said Kate.

She added: "But we obviously told the police because we thought does that indicate that someone's been round the night before and that’s what’s woken her up?  Which is significant, you know…I’ve persecuted myself over and over again about that statement because you think why didn't I kind of just hold her and say what do you mean, what do you mean you know?  What do you mean you woke up?"

Gerry said: "I think the worst thing is we kind of almost thought about not going.  And er, and did.  We weren’t sure we were going to get into the tapas, remember, and…"

Kate said: "In fact we were all, we were all going to go up to the Millennium  again, that was with the kids, which is what we did the first night.  It was just, it was just because the walk was so long and we didn’t have a buggy and the  kids were tired by that time and I thought we were, you know we did talk about going up to the Millennium that night."

Jane didn't feel quite so comfortable with the group's behaviour;

I think somebody, basically made, tried to make ourselves as awkward as possible on this holiday, I think, because somebody had asked, because there weren’t many people there and most of the people playing tennis were in our group except a few others, they sort of said ‘Oh could it be just slightly’, it was either slightly earlier or slightly later, so I think it was actually, I think normally it started at half six but we’d asked ‘Could the social tennis start at six’.......................I think Russell and I are probably more sort of laid back and just go with the flow a bit, but some of the people on the holiday were quite sort of ‘Oh we’ll ask, we’ll get this’, you know, a bit like booking the Tapas Restaurant every night, I don’t think it would ever have crossed Russell and my mind to try and get a block booking,
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/JANE_TANNER_RIGATORY.htm


According to Jane;

Thursday morning by the tennis, at the tennis, somebody in our tennis group had tried to book the Tapas and they couldn’t get in because it was already full.....definitely from my point of view I felt quite bad that we were taking this, you know, this block booking every night and it was affecting other people using it”.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/JANE_TANNER_RIGATORY.htm

[misty]

Jane didn't feel quite so comfortable with the group's behaviour;

I think somebody, basically made, tried to make ourselves as awkward as possible on this holiday, I think, because somebody had asked, because there weren’t many people there and most of the people playing tennis were in our group except a few others, they sort of said ‘Oh could it be just slightly’, it was either slightly earlier or slightly later, so I think it was actually, I think normally it started at half six but we’d asked ‘Could the social tennis start at six’.......................I think Russell and I are probably more sort of laid back and just go with the flow a bit, but some of the people on the holiday were quite sort of ‘Oh we’ll ask, we’ll get this’, you know, a bit like booking the Tapas Restaurant every night, I don’t think it would ever have crossed Russell and my mind to try and get a block booking,
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/JANE_TANNER_RIGATORY.htm


According to Jane;

Thursday morning by the tennis, at the tennis, somebody in our tennis group had tried to book the Tapas and they couldn’t get in because it was already full.....definitely from my point of view I felt quite bad that we were taking this, you know, this block booking every night and it was affecting other people using it”.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/JANE_TANNER_RIGATORY.htm

I think you'd probably have to look at who was on the court at 6pm to work out who probably made the request to change the start time.
The Thursday morning discussion raises the possibility that others were aware of the reasons why the Tapas group had a  monopoly in the dining area & may have discussed it outside the tennis fraternity. A note left at reception merely adds to the number of people which could have known about the arrangement

[John]

If there was a predator on the prowl intent upon abducting a youngster he only needed to watch the parents movements each evening to see that they were going for their evening meal and leaving the children on their own.  Apartment 5a both front and rear can be easily watched from the stairwell of the adjacent apartment block.

[misty]

If there was a predator on the prowl intent upon abducting a youngster he only needed to watch the parents movements each evening to see that they were going for their evening meal and leaving the children on their own.  Apartment 5a both front and rear can be easily watched from the stairwell of the adjacent apartment block.

We discussed this on another thread. The first 2 floors of block 6 were fairly well occupied. 4 of the 5 apartments on the first floor were occupied by MW holidaymakers, including the one at the end nearest to Block 4. I think the ground floor one underneath that was privately occupied & the lady living there spoke to the media on 4/5.
IMO it is highly unlikely that the balcony/front door area on either of those floors could have been used by a Watcher over a few days. Going up to the second floor, would the visibility for the front of 5A be as good?

[G-Unit]

Luisa clearly stated she took the booking on Sun. 29th so I presume Barros must have been away from his position at the Millenium Bar to have any knowledge of Tapas dining bookings.

Something I have just picked up from Luisa's statement is this:-
http://mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/LUISA_COUTINHO.htm
Date: 2007/05/08
She never saw anything strange. During this interview she provided a book with the reservations for the Tapas restaurant.


Yet the booking sheets from 4/5/07 are on different paper.

http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/T/03_VOLUME_IIIa_Page_608.jpg     (3rd May format & days before)
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/T/03_VOLUME_IIIa_Page_609.jpg     (4th May, new format)
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/T/03_VOLUME_IIIa_Page_610.jpg     (6th May, new format)

The booking, she said, was made by an insistent man on Sunday, not by Rachael on Monday;

She remembers that on Sunday 29th April one of the elements of the group arrived with the child Madeleine McCann, she does not know his name and can only say that he was male and tall and thin and that he approached her to request a booking for the whole group, for the whole week and always at 20.30.

When questioned, she confirms that the man was not the father of the girl but one of the members of the group whom was often seen in his company.

The man justified his request by saying that the group had many small children whom they would leave alone when they went to dine. She said that at intervals some two parents would go to the apartments to see if everything was OK.

The deponent made some comments about the request, saying that the Tapas received many requests and that MW only had a quota of 20 per day, but upon the insistence of the guest she managed to make the bookings requested.
http://mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/LUISA_COUTINHO.htm

[Alice Purjorick]

We discussed this on another thread. The first 2 floors of block 6 were fairly well occupied. 4 of the 5 apartments on the first floor were occupied by MW holidaymakers, including the one at the end nearest to Block 4. I think the ground floor one underneath that was privately occupied & the lady living there spoke to the media on 4/5.
IMO it is highly unlikely that the balcony/front door area on either of those floors could have been used by a Watcher over a few days. Going up to the second floor, would the visibility for the front of 5A be as good?

Why ever not? There were watchers pretty well every where else [allegedly]. It was almost like a convention of the revenue in PdL that week if the scuttlebutt is to be believed.
http://rmhh.co.uk/occup/w.html

[misty]

Why ever not? There were watchers pretty well every where else [allegedly]. It was almost like a convention of the revenue in PdL that week if the scuttlebutt is to be believed.
http://rmhh.co.uk/occup/w.html

All the Watchers in the files were watching by day, which would have told them precisely nothing about the McCanns' nocturnal activities. It was a holiday resort; there was a school at the end of one street & a supermarket at the end of another, adjacent to 5A. 
 As someone who had cause to spend 10 minutes hanging around on a street corner in the middle of a housing estate today, near the school, I can't begin to describe how conspicuous I felt. Two men parked in a car almost beside me actually drove off - maybe they were casing the joint behind me.

[sadie]

We discussed this on another thread. The first 2 floors of block 6 were fairly well occupied. 4 of the 5 apartments on the first floor were occupied by MW holidaymakers, including the one at the end nearest to Block 4. I think the ground floor one underneath that was privately occupied & the lady living there spoke to the media on 4/5.
IMO it is highly unlikely that the balcony/front door area on either of those floors could have been used by a Watcher over a few days. Going up to the second floor, would the visibility for the front of 5A be as good?

The top floor stairwell balcony (block 6) has a window or door to the adjoining flat on it, so if anyone was in residence it would have been a little dicy to use it IMO. 
Also from G.Earth, i am inclined to think that a watcher up there would not be able to see straight into 5A flat in as perfect a way as from the middle balcony.
 ... nor on to the patio area as well as from the middle floor stairwell and balcony.

This is because the views would be downhill rather than straight in ... and ceilings and rooves might block some of the view.    From the upper balcony in block 6, the ceiling above the patio area of 5A would have cut off some of the view on to that patio.   The view of the area in front of the front door and Madeleines window might, i think, also be somewhat obscured by the roof between  5A and Mrs Fenns apartment.  but it is difficult to be sure.


It really needs someone to go up and look to see exactly what is hidden by ceilings and rooves, but certainly the middle balcony seems a better spot.  Everything is visible from there.


Do you now agree, gunit?

[sadie]

All the Watchers in the files were watching by day, which would have told them precisely nothing about the McCanns' nocturnal activities. It was a holiday resort; there was a school at the end of one street & a supermarket at the end of another, adjacent to 5A. 
 As someone who had cause to spend 10 minutes hanging around on a street corner in the middle of a housing estate today, near the school, I can't begin to describe how conspicuous I felt. Two men parked in a car almost beside me actually drove off - maybe they were casing the joint behind me.

All the watchers that were noticed were watching by day agreed.

But that doesn't mean that after dark other watchers were not there.   Just not noticed in the dark on balconies etc, maybe??

[misty]

All the watchers that were noticed were watching by day agreed.

But that doesn't mean that after dark other watchers were not there.   Just not noticed in the dark on balconies etc, maybe??

Recon of any potential babysitter had to be done prior to 8.30pm during daylight hours.